Early High School Student Advising and Program Coordinator

Breakthrough is the leading college access and success nonprofit in Central Texas. For more than 20 years, we have partnered with thousands of middle and high school students who aspire to be the first in their family to graduate with a degree or certificate. We make a radical, long-term commitment to students, to and through college, unlocking the power of education and a lifetime of opportunity. We support the whole student with personalized services, work closely with community partners, campuses, and employers, and advocate for our students with lawmakers. Breakthrough students attend 60+ public schools and persist at nearly 100 colleges and universities. The result is that 55% of Breakthrough students graduate from college, compared to 17% of low-income students in our region. Our work has resulted in more than 550 college graduates, with 4,000 on their way, positively impacting families for generations, our region’s educational access, and the Central Texas economy.

You are a strong candidate for the Early High School Student Advisor and Program Coordinator role if, above all, you are a champion for increasing social and economic opportunity through educational attainment. You are a servant leader, and feel at your best in a deep relationship with the communities in which you serve and in collaboration with others you work and partner with. You are passionate about building authentic relationships with students, family members and caregivers, and the educators at the schools your students attend. You bring content expertise in youth development, college access, and in event or program operations. You will also bring experience or demonstrated capacity in the following competencies:  

• High School Success & College Access Advising: Ensures strong high school course selection and academic progress, meeting testing requirements, and envisioning a career pathway.

• Student Advising & Relationship Building: Provides  high-quality advising services to students, with a focus on building authentic relationships and a skill at advocating for the student’s success in school and other settings. Demonstrate advising behaviors that build trust and foster student and family engagement. 
• Student Centered Impact Orientation: Supports all students’ growth and postsecondary success by setting and achieving ambitious, measurable  goals. 
• Youth Development: Meets young people where they are and acts in developmentally appropriate ways to support them at the relevant stage while nurturing a sense of self-efficacy and academic identity development. 

• Family Navigation & Caregiver Engagement: Builds trusting relationships and works effectively with caregivers to provide information, guidance and resources so that students stay engaged and thrive. 
• Inclusive Communication: Approaches conversations about identity, power and privilege with awareness, humility and a quest for greater understanding. Trailer communication to meet the needs of a variety of audiences including students, families, staff members, school personnel, and individuals who speak a language other than English.
• Resource Connection: Works effectively with the Student and Family Support Specialist to connect students and their families to non-academic providers and resources within the community, including school-based services, mental health services, and others. 
• Data Tracking & Evaluation: Submits timely, accurate, comprehensive case notes and other information and tracks/analyzes data with fidelity to drive action that supports student success, informs program design, and ensures meeting team, advising and persistence goals. 
• Continuous Learning & Improvement: Embraces and applies feedback, demonstrates curiosity, creativity and growth mindset , and pursues opportunities to strengthen individual performance and team/organizational outcomes. 
• Prioritization & Resourcefulness: Effectively puts time and effort where it is needed the most, asks for help,  maximizes resources and envisions innovative solutions to reaching outcomes. Prioritizes multiple tasks and delivers commitments in a timely manner, and  possesses a disciplined, strong work ethic and comfort with working non-standard hours (some weekends and evenings). 

The Early High School Students Advisor & Program Coordinator will report to the Early High School Associate Director of their advising site (Del Valle/Manor or Austin). Direct reports may include a year round AmeriCorps member.